well this is nothing new , things are going on ,the entire Sth African strategy on rhino protection is a failure ,and they have the nerve to think that it does not matter that much

Rhino poaching middlemen and kingpins continue to operate with impunity in South Africa, according to a new WildAid report, which reveals how the country has failed to prosecute or sufficiently punish those arrested for high level involvement in rhino crimes.

at the moments it is Chinese visiting a nearby country , but who knows where things like this could end

Neighbouring China is the main destination for elephant products. Despite the ivory ban imposed by the Chinese government earlier this year, ivory is still the most valuable part of the elephant. But worryingly conservationists are now seeing a growing demand for other parts of the animal; trunks, feet, even the penis, to be used in traditional medicine. The hide or skin, which is believed to be a remedy for eczema, is particularly in demand.

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now there is pressure on elephants from Chinese medicine it does not work

at the moments it is Chinese visiting a nearby country , but who knows where things like this could end

Neighbouring China is the main destination for elephant products. Despite the ivory ban imposed by the Chinese government earlier this year, ivory is still the most valuable part of the elephant. But worryingly conservationists are now seeing a growing demand for other parts of the animal; trunks, feet, even the penis, to be used in traditional medicine. The hide or skin, which is believed to be a remedy for eczema, is particularly in demand.

VIENTIANE, Laos: As tour buses pull up in front of San Jiang Market, not far from Wattay International Airport, a guide beckons to a group of Chinese tourists. They soon disappear into the jungle of shops bearing signs in Chinese characters, many of which sell “local specialties,” or any illicit wildlife product imaginable.

From elephant tusk, rhinoceros horn, and tiger bone to shells of the critically endangered hawksbill turtle, most of these products are displayed openly on store shelves here, despite being subject to longstanding controls or bans on their trade.

If you’re really looking for something, then go with this,” Vuong said, grabbing a box of ivory Buddhist amulets. “They’re small and perfect for gifts, and you can wear several at a time.”

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Game theory suggests China should keep its ivory trade ban in place indefinitely

Itâ€™s no exaggeration to say that African elephants are in grave danger. The forest elephant, native to Central Africa, is on the edge of extinction. Savanna elephants, in southern Africa, are being poached at a rate of roughly 27,000 a year.

This is far higher than the rate at which the species can reproduce. Itâ€™s stating the obvious to say that this is unsustainable.

Signs of stockpiling were also spotted by the WJC investigators in Vietnam. In early 2016 investigators were "told by an ivory trader that due to the low price and the gloomy ivory market, a few Chinese ‘big bosses’, who can afford it, were stockpiling up the ivory and not selling out, in order to reduce the supply and push up the price".

There is also no sign of a corresponding decline in poaching. "I see no decline," said Stiles. "That to me means a drop in price is actually bad for elephants. Because these guys can buy more ivory for the same amount of money as before.

However, Stiles is keen to stress that it is still too early to see the full impact on poaching across Africa from China’s domestic ivory ban, which will be fully enforced at the end of this year. "Let’s see where we are at the beginning of 2019. If poaching rates haven’t gone down significantly by then, then elephants are in real trouble."

Many conservationists believe that the ban is pointing in the right direction for elephants, with Verheij from the WJC saying, "It’s really encouraging".

Vigne agrees and points out that in the future this ban will have an impact on the big trading networks. "If they have any sense they won’t want to trade if the prices are dropping like that," she said. But ultimately, she added, the key is law enforcement. "Punishment is the biggest deterrent. That’s what has to be focused, so the illegal markets will slowly become marginalised."

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Signs of stockpiling were also spotted by the WJC investigators in Vietnam. In early 2016 investigators were "told by an ivory trader that due to the low price and the gloomy ivory market, a few Chinese ‘big bosses’, who can afford it, were stockpiling up the ivory and not selling out, in order to reduce the supply and push up the price".

There is also no sign of a corresponding decline in poaching. "I see no decline," said Stiles. "That to me means a drop in price is actually bad for elephants. Because these guys can buy more ivory for the same amount of money as before.

Kenyan elephants will get more protection from poachers thanks to new Vanderbilt University technology embedded in their tracking collars -- ballistic shockwave sensors that send coordinates to authorities immediately after detecting gunshots.

The new system is the first use of shockwave detection technology in the intensified push to thwart illegal trafficking and save endangered African elephants.

Dubbed WIPER, the project is a joint effort between Vanderbilt computer engineering faculty and Colorado State University, which has used GPS in tracking collars for years to study and protect elephants, slaughtered by the thousands for their ivory tusks.

In a landmark operation, a cross-border African task force has arrested 7 key players that smuggled 1 ton of elephant tusks from Uganda to Singapore via Kenya in one instance alone, and who are part of a syndicate responsible for the ongoing decimation of Africa’s elephants for the ivory trade, as well as other endangered species whose body parts are still being smuggled in large quantities to Asia’s black markets.

The Lusaka Agreement Task Force (LATF) announced today that they have just concluded coordinating an intensive six-week operation resulting in multiple arrests, including a senior Kenyan Customs official, several shipping agents, and high-level traffickers for their role in smuggling the illegal consignment to Singapore in March 2014. The accused are also under investigation for other wildlife crimes.

The operation revealed evidence that links to other parts of Africa and Asia

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has dismissed allegations and reports insinuating that the export of five baby elephants from Namibia to a zoo in Dubai do not met the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species on Fauna and Flora (CITES) criteria.

Namibian Sun recently reported that Namibia is planning to sell five baby elephants to a zoo in Dubai after a permit for export was issued.

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This sounds all well and good, but the illegal wildlife trade is serious business in Namibia . if someone moves out of it,they wil just be replaced by someone else .

looks like all the reports from oxpecekers.org has created a desire to be seen to be doing something, even if it is unlikely to be successful

Namibia to Banish Wildlife Traffickers
Albertina Nakale, New Era

June 13, 2017

Windhoek: The newly signed Nature Conservation Amendment Act will empower the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration to ban entry into Namibia of foreign nationals involved in wildlife crimes related to the possession and dealing in elephant and rhino products, after they serve their prison terms.

Windhoek, Namibia, and Harare, Zimbabwe, 12th June 2017—Ministerial level workshops raising awareness against wildlife trafficking amongst Chinese nationals living and working in Namibia and Zimbabwe were jointly hosted by China’s State Forest Administration, China’s CITES[1] Management Authority, TRAFFIC and WWF last weekend, supported by the respective Chinese Embassies.

More than 160 local Chinese nationals from State-owned enterprises, private businesses and residential communities attended the workshops held in Windhoek and Harare respectively. Local NGOs and both local and international media were also present. Tommy Nambahu, Namibia’s Vice Minister of Environment and Tourism and Mandoga, Zimbabwe’s Director of Environment and Natural Resources Department, Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate made the opening remarks at the respective workshops.

the security at Etosha national park was effective when it was done by the police and army,it declined when new rangers with a background in the ruling SWAPO political party were brought in, the suspected poachers have the same background

the security at Etosha national park was effective when it was done by the police and army,it declined when new rangers with a background in the ruling SWAPO political party were brought in, the suspected poachers have the same background

According to a YouTube video hosted by Show Me Dubai, the five wild baby elephants recently captured on a Namibian game reserve and heading for a new Dubai zoo, Dubai Safari Park, will be subjected to elephant-back riding.

A new analysis of global airport wildlife seizure and trafficking data reveals that wildlife traffickers around the world are heavily exploiting the air transport sector to smuggle protected and endangered animals and animal products on commercial flights.

The report, “Flying Under the Radar: Wildlife Trafficking in the Air Transport Sector,” produced by C4ADS as part of the USAID Reducing Opportunities for Unlawful Transport of Endangered Species (ROUTES) Partnership, analyzes airport seizures of ivory, rhino horn, birds and reptiles from January 2009 to August 2016. Collectively, these four categories account for about 66 percent of all trafficked wildlife, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and serve as indicators for wider trends within illicit wildlife trafficking.